According to the homeowner of an Upper Mcleod Road home, her girlfriend had just arrived for a night of fun—she was, in fact, just fetching her friend a cider—when they looked out the window and saw smoke pouring out of the vehicle.

The Armstrong Fire Department arrived around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night, at which point the fire had already started to spread onto the grass, shrubbery and nearby trees.

Capt. Ian Cummings, who lives just a few doors down, says the fire was contained in minutes, and no one was injured.

Neighbours stood watching from porches, yards and the roadway as firefighters doused any last vestiges of fire. Cummings says many of them tried to help by getting hoses and attempting to extinguish the fire.

"They have good intentions, but there were three explosions, and car parts flying off. It's better to stand back for safety," Cummings says.

The investigation into why the vehicle exploded in the first place is ongoing. The driver said the car ran smoothly on her way over, with no hiccups to foreshadow the fire.

The ladies night host is just glad her friend is okay and hadn't spent a moment longer inside the vehicle.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca, call (250)309-5230 or tweet @charhelston

OPINION Editor, This is a busy time of year, but I find it’s also a time of reflection, particularly as January marks the end of my two-year term as Chair and my 10 years serving on the Board of Interior